This invention pertains to a bracket assembly for mounting an electrical box between two building studs. The bracket assembly comprises two brackets, which can be slidably adjusted to accommodate any spacing of the building studs within a range of spacings.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,137, a bracket is disclosed for mounting an electrical box between two building studs. The electrical box is provided with a faceplate, which may be also called a mud ring or a plaster ring, and with fasteners for fastening the faceplate to the electrical box. Such a combination of an electrical box, a faceplate, and fasteners is conventional.
The bracket defines a frame, which has two sides, an upper edge, and a lower edge, and to which the electrical box can be adjustably mounted at any location within a wide range of possible mounting locations along the upper and lower edges of the frame. Each of the sides is adapted to be fixedly mounted to one of the building studs.
When the electrical box is mounted, the electrical box is placed under the bracket, a faceplate is placed over the bracket so as to sandwich the upper and lower edges of the bracket between the electrical box and the faceplate, and the fasteners are used to fasten the faceplate to the electrical box with the upper and lower edges of the electrical box sandwiched therebetween.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,137, the bracket can be only used if the building studs from each other by a prescribed distance, e.g. 18 inches from stud center to stud center. Hence, such a bracket must be differently sized for different spacings of the building studs from one another, e.g 12 inches from stud center to stud center or 24 inches from stud center to stud center. Further, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,137, the bracket is not useful for non-standard spacing of the building studs from one another, as near a doorway.
This invention provides a bracket assembly, which is novel and which provides significant improvements when compared to the bracket disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,137, for mounting a combination of an electrical box, a plaster ring, and a fastener or fasteners for fastening the plaster ring to the electrical box, between two building studs.
The bracket assembly comprises two brackets, namely a first bracket and a second bracket, which can be slidably adjusted to accommodate any spacing of the building studs within a range of spacings, e.g. a range from 12 inches from stud center to stud center to 18 inches from stud center to stud center, a range from 18 inches from stud center to stud center to 24 inches from stud center to stud center, or an equivalent range in metric measurements.
Each bracket has a mounting base, which is adapted for mounting to one of the building studs, and each bracket has two parallel legs, which extend from its mounting base. At least part of each of the parallel legs of the first bracket is adapted to lie over or under and to slide along at least part of one of the parallel legs of the second bracket when the bracket assembly is mounted so that the mounting bases of the brackets are mounted to the building studs, whereby the first and second brackets can be slidably adjusted, as mentioned.
In embodiments that are contemplated, each parallel leg of each bracket has a proximal end, at which said parallel leg extends from the mounting base of said bracket, and a distal end, which is not connected to any other part of said bracket except through said parallel leg.
The brackets are adapted to mount the combination with the electrical box underlying and engaging two parallel legs among the parallel legs of the first and second brackets, with the plaster ring overlying and engaging two parallel legs among the parallel legs of the first and second brackets, and with the plaster ring fastened to the electrical box by the fastener or fasteners.
Thus, this invention contemplates an embodiment wherein the brackets are positionable so that at least part of each of the parallel legs of the first bracket is adapted to lie over and to slide along at least part of one of the parallel legs of the second bracket when the bracket assembly is mounted so that the mounting bases of the brackets are mounted to the building studs.
Also, this invention contemplates an embodiment wherein the brackets are positionable so that at least part of a given one of the parallel legs of the first bracket is adapted to lie over and to slide along at least part of a given one of the parallel legs of the second bracket and at least part of the other one of the parallel legs of the first bracket is adapted to lie under and to slide along at least part of the other one of the parallel legs of the second bracket when the bracket assembly is mounted so that the mounting bases of the brackets are mounted to the building studs.
Preferably, in either contemplated embodiment, each of the parallel legs of the first bracket is adapted to interfit slidably in a telescoping relationship with one of the parallel legs of the second bracket, the telescoping relationship being defined by an overlying leg and an underlying leg. The overlying leg of the telescoping relationship may have at least one flange wrapping partly around the underlying leg of the telescoping relationship. Preferably, the overlying leg of the telescoping relationship has two spaced flanges, each wrapping partly around the underlying leg of the telescoping relationship.
This invention also provides a novel combination wherein a bracket assembly, as discussed above, is combined with an electrical box, a plaster ring, and a fastener or fasteners for fastening the plaster ring to the electrical box, each as discussed above.